Delhi Metro station gets solar power plant

NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) launched the operation of a solar power plant at its Dwarka Sector-21 Metro station.

The plant was inaugurated by urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu at the Metro Bhawan in the presence of, among others, Union minister of state for power, coal and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal, and DMRC managing director Mangu Singh.

Naidu switched on the new, solar-power generated lights on platform No.1 of Dwarka Sector 21 Metro station through remote control from Metro Bhawan on Barakhamba Road. The power generated by the 500-kWp ‘Roof-Top Solar Power Plant’ will be used to meet the requirements at the station.

The roof-top plant is the largest of its kind in Delhi-NCR under the Renewable Energy Service (RESCO) model and is a result of cooperation between DMRC and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the project ‘ComSolar’, which supports commercialisation of solar energy in India.

“I feel very happy and proud that DMRC has done it in record time. This initiative… to meet DMRC’s power requirements is an all-out effort to promote renewable energy. The need of the hour is to promote renewable energy as 80% of our fossil fuel is used to meet our power needs and it is not a very happy situation,” Naidu said.

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“I am happy that DMRC has taken my suggestion of improving the services and reducing the tariff,” he added.

As per the model for the roof-top plant, the developer invests, owns and operates the plant while DMRC purchases the electricity generated through a Power Purchase Agreement.

The project was commissioned by the federal ministry for environment, nature conservation, building and nuclear safety of the government of Germany. It aims to support the new and renewable energy ministry in achieving its targets under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

DMRC will install three more roof-top solar power plants at facilities under it in continuation of its policy to encourage eco-friendly practices and technologies.

The other solar plants are to be set up at Anand Vihar ISBT Metro station, Pragati Maidan Metro station and the DMRC residential complex at Pushp Vihar with a joint power generation capacity of 25-kWp.

Naidu also lauded DMRC’s efforts in reducing operational losses of the Airport Express Line and urged his colleagues to use the Metro for travelling in the city. He also stressed on the need to increase power generation in the country.